Nationwide Strike Continues As Talk Between Labour And Federal Government Ends in Deadlock!

Negotiations on Thursday between labour leaders and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan made progress but have not concluded and a nationwide strike will continue, a union leader said.

“The outcome is that we have not concluded discussions yet, but we have had very fruitful discussions,” Nigeria Labour Congress president Abdulwahed Omar told journalists on the fourth day of the strike.

“We have to continue on Saturday afternoon… Until we conclude the discussions, we maintain the status quo,” he said after talks broke up for the day.

The meeting between labour leaders and Jonathan was the first since the strike that has brought tens of thousands into the streets in protest against the scrapping of fuel subsidies began on Monday.

Earlier Thursday, Nigeria’s main oil workers union said it would begin shutting down crude production on Sunday in Africa’s largest oil producer as it piled pressure on the president ahead of the talks.